Quote:

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Russia adapted (got better at fighting aka "stronger") and is now slowly inching forward, instead of being pushed back.

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In one small area on the front about 20 miles long. The front is about 600 miles long though…

Quote:

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Ukraine was pushing Russia back after the initial invasion, and also during their counteroffensive. Ukraine is no longer pushing Russia back.

Russia adapted (got better at fighting aka "stronger") and is now slowly inching forward, instead of being pushed back.

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2023-2025 have been nothing but territorial gains for Russia, aside from the idiotic waste of lives into Kursk for Kiev.

The panic on the Kiev side is palpable at this point, such that they are insistent Trump be on the hook/present for their 'peace negotiations' failing, after insisting Trump couldn't negotiate with Moscow without their direct supervision/veto.

Ukraine would like U.S. President Donald Trump to be present at a potential meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrinform reported on May 23, citing Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 23, 2025

Spoiler alert; Trump's not gonna do that.

Teslag said:

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Quote:

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Russia adapted (got better at fighting aka "stronger") and is now slowly inching forward, instead of being pushed back.

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In one small area on the front about 20 miles long. The front is about 600 miles long though…

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Exactly. Russia went from reeling backwards a couple years ago to incrementally going forwards for the better part of two years now. Ukraine has slowed them down, but not stopped them. And Ukraine has been unable to retake the initiative save for Kursk, which they have since lost their footing in.

As another poster was saying, the front lines and the direction they are moving tell the real story of the war. Ukraine is losing in slow motion.

Street Fighter said:

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Scott Ritter???? is a nut case.

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convicted of solicitation of minors and spent time in prison for it.

Russia treated him to an all expense paid trip over there and after he got back, he was pushing the Russia propaganda talking points so hard that the FBI raided his home in August 2024 for potential violation of Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Likes little girls and Russia.

Of couple of regulars on the Judging Freedom show seem okay, I might disagree but they speak intelligently about their opinions. But others are pretty weird looking individuals….remind me of the Gene Hackman character in that Will Smith movie 'Enemy Of The State' and Ritter in particular is a despicable human. But I guess he gets clicks with some name recognition so the Judge has him on.

PlaneCrashGuy said:

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Teslag said:

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Quote:

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Russia adapted (got better at fighting aka "stronger") and is now slowly inching forward, instead of being pushed back.

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In one small area on the front about 20 miles long. The front is about 600 miles long though…

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Exactly. Russia went from reeling backwards a couple years ago to incrementally going forwards for the better part of two years now. Ukraine has slowed them down, but not stopped them. And Ukraine has been unable to retake the initiative save for Kursk, which they have since lost their footing in.

As another poster was saying, the front lines and the direction they are moving tell the real story of the war. Ukraine is losing in slow motion.

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And that's not any different than a year ago. Russias minuscule gains have always, and continue to be, in one tiny area of the front.

That's why this map hasn't change much at all, if at all, in 3 years.

.

Now carry on.

It sounds as though the Euro's are going to blame Trump (with Z of course) for negotiations failing, which might be why Trump lashed out over their trade negotiations today, imho. Clearly not an 'unbiased' source (citing bloomberg reports in the first few minutes), but valid arguments.

The Duran: Episode 2231
Last chance ultimatum. Europe prepares to blame Trump pic.twitter.com/UQ8pta4KvZ

— The Duran (@TheDuranReal) May 23, 2025

BTW, Germany is really the crux still of the European industrial/military economy, and will be decimated if these tariffs hold. And this is amidst Trump working on trade deals with Moscow as per above the past couple of days.

Yep. Another one of those internet weirdos that get's his posts regurgitated on here. Sick people. I mean come on….who posts stuff from a child molester?

Read a little history. Trading space for time in a defensive political war favors the Ukrainians unless the Russians commit overwhelming force at a specific place and time.

Using the thinking on this board, you guys would've abandoned Sam Houston before you got to San Jacinto.

Lavrov on peace talks/Trump involvement/statements etc:

Quote:

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The minister noted that Trump was the first Western leader who "publicly said that drawing Ukraine into NATO was a grave mistake" and blamed the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden for the escalation of the conflict.

Russia is open to cooperation with the US on space, energy, and technology provided it is based on equality and mutual benefit. However, Lavrov acknowledged that US foreign policy has historically shifted unpredictably and that Russia takes this into account when planning its actions.

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EU:

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The EU leaders are "fueling" the Ukraine conflict and encouraging Zelensky and his "regime" to continue the hostilities against Russia, Lavrov told journalists during the Q&A session. Calls by French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Russia to agree to an "unconditional ceasefire" are a disguise for their plans to continue pumping the Kiev "regime" with arms, the foreign minister has stated.

The EU leaders seek to disrupt the peace process renewed during the direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul last week, Lavrov believes.

"They've bet their reputation on dragging Europe into a war against Russia to facilitate the militarization of Europe,' the minister warned, adding that the Western governments plan to allocate "huge sums" of money for that goal.

"There is certainly Europe's responsibility" in protracting the Ukraine conflict, Lavrov said adding that the EU leaders would "find it hard to shed this responsibility."

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That's all about right. Karl Sanchez has more thoughts from his presentation, and the history of Ukrainian nationalism back to around 100 years.

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In 1929, the very sad Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists was created in Vienna, which became the matrix for most Ukrainian nationalist parties and organizations of the 1990s-2000s.

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Quote:

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But everything is possible for Ukraine. Moreover, they do not just close their eyes, but speak with pride. And Ursula von der Leyen, and before his resignation, Mr Charles Michel, and all the functionaries in Brussels, defending their position on Ukraine, convincing their voters that they need to tighten their belts and wait for better times, because now we need to help Ukraine, not to medicine, not to heating. They say that we have to wait, because Ukraine defends European values. Draw conclusions about what Europe sees its "values" in.

Real Nazism is being revived. There are many examples, including the speech of the new German Chancellor Frank Merz that the time has come for Germany to lead Europe again. To pronounce such words is to be a great cynic. The militarization of Europe has been proclaimed as one of the main tasks for the second half of the decade. This is a dangerous trend.

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I've long maintained the proxy war really isn't about the maidan regime in Kiev itself, but a larger globalist effort to drive other goals (energy spike etc).

It's not even imminent, it's present. With this latest murder in Spain, the Ukrainian GUR having a Western-facing attack network isn't even a matter for speculation at this point, it's simply confirmed.

Let's review:
- Robert Fico of Slovakia shot, barely survives
- Four… https://t.co/PYY8wLZ5Vp pic.twitter.com/tqAvyW6KMD

— Armchair Warlord (@ArmchairW) May 23, 2025

14 iskanders and something like 250-300 Geran drones launched mainly at Kiev and Odessa last night, in one of the largest such attacks yet. Sitrep; offensive season outlook, mostly based on The Telegraph article and Zaluzhny's comments.

ETA: a clearly devastated by war/sanctions 2025 Moscow.

FIDO_Ags said:

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Read a little history. Trading space for time in a defensive political war favors the Ukrainians unless the Russians commit overwhelming force at a specific place and time.

Using the thinking on this board, you guys would've abandoned Sam Houston before you got to San Jacinto.

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This is a perfect articulation of the lunacy of the Ukrainian position. It is not better to give up land and blood for time than it is to give up land for peace.

Really? LOL!

So throwing away the lives of literally tens of thousands of Russian men for a few meters of gain in a country that is no threat to your sovereignty isn't also lunacy?

The guy in Moscow can stop the killing he started any time he wants to yet you defend that position. Its fascinating.

Quote:

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ETA: a clearly devastated by war/sanctions 2025 Moscow.

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But how are things in the districts?

FIDO_Ags said:

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Really? LOL!

So throwing away the lives of literally tens of thousands of Russian men for a few meters of gain in a country that is no threat to your sovereignty isn't also lunacy?

The guy in Moscow can stop the killing he started any time he wants to yet you defend that position. Its fascinating.

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I think some of these people would still be under British rule, given the choice.

FIDO_Ags said:

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Really? LOL!

So throwing away the lives of literally tens of thousands of Russian men for a few meters of gain in a country that is no threat to your sovereignty isn't also lunacy?

The guy in Moscow can stop the killing he started any time he wants to yet you defend that position. Its fascinating.

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I didnt say anything about Putin. But you said

"Trading space for time in a defensive political war favors the Ukrainians"

Its completely idiotic to give up land (and blood) to only gain time when trading land (and no blood) for peace is a viable option.

Can Putin go home? Yes. Will he? Obviously not. Only a fool would even bring that up.

PlaneCrashGuy said:

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FIDO_Ags said:

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Read a little history. Trading space for time in a defensive political war favors the Ukrainians unless the Russians commit overwhelming force at a specific place and time.

Using the thinking on this board, you guys would've abandoned Sam Houston before you got to San Jacinto.

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This is a perfect articulation of the lunacy of the Ukrainian position. It is not better to give up land and blood for time than it is to give up land for peace.

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We are assuming Russia would settle for just *some* Ukrainian land. We have no clue what Putin's end game is so the Ukrainians are working off the assumption he wants total annexation. In that context, it is more similar to Sam Houston where the choice was total capitulation or victory and not some border dispute.

Quote:

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But how are things in the districts?

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What districts? I imagine Siberia is miserable as it…pretty much always has been. Crimea has been variously attacked but is recovering well from what I've read.

Most of Putin's pals live around Moscow/St Petersburg. Once again I find zero evidence they are suffering, financially or otherwise, from this war, any more than our gov't aristocracy around DC did during the Biden presidency.

Al Jazeera (fairly neutral in this case) sitrep:

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• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has announced that Moscow will be ready to hand Ukraine a draft document outlining conditions for a long-term peace accord once a prisoner exchange, now under way, is completed.
• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told reporters that Kyiv was waiting for Russia's proposals on the form of talks, a ceasefire and a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
• Sybiha, quoted by Ukrainian media, said Kyiv would be in favour of expanding such a meeting to include United States President Donald Trump.
• Lavrov has cast doubt on the Vatican as a potential place for peace talks with Ukraine. Italy had said Pope Leo XIV was ready to host the peace talks after Trump suggested the Vatican as a location. Italy, the pope and the US had voiced hope the city-state could host the talks.
• Russia and Ukraine have each released 390 prisoners of war and said they would free more in the coming days, an initiative agreed in talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Turkiye last week.
• Putin has declared in televised remarks that Russia needs to strengthen its position in the global arms market by increasing exports of weapons.

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I did say that because that is exactly what is happening.

And you say peace is an option, but from the Ukrainian perspective it's not. They were invaded and did nothing to provoke it despite whatever propaganda Putin and the Kremlin provide. And if you want to argue that the possibility of NATO membership caused it, that's just Putin looking for justification because there was no real reason for Russia to attack Ukraine. It was about Putin's pride and nothing else. Since 1949, how many countries has NATO invaded vs how many Russia has invaded?

The green goblin, a former actor/comedian, has decided to make this invasion as painful as possible for Russia. Time will tell if it works, but a Fabian Strategy has numerous examples of success throughout the history of warfare.

Ukraine doesn't have to surrender just because a third party says they should. Maybe what they actually believe is that it's better to die on their feet than live on their knees. It's really a pretty simple concept when your country has been invaded.

I do agree that we should not be at the peace talk discussions. We aren't going to fund Ukraine, at least not at the level they have been supported in the past. Ukraine's ability to fight is going to rely on external support for armaments, supplies and intelligence. Whoever is willing to provide that is who should act as the third party here. The only party that makes sense is the EU and they appear unwilling to provide a united long-term plan.

If Ukraine is able to retake Crimea like they said would before their counteroffensive, I will gladly eat crow. There is no serious person who expects that to happen.

They don't have to take Crimea by force. They just have to kill enough Russians to make the war untenable for the Russians back home. We're not close to that, but neither are the Russians to forcing Ukraine to surrender. This is a political war, not an economic one.

As a footnote in history, the US killed over 2MM Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. The US lost 55,000, probably never lost a battle, but after 10 years of war, America had enough with no end in site.

Same for the Russians in Afghanistan.

Would you like me to list more examples?

One note on the Ukrainian counteroffensive in Spring of '23 if I'm remembering correctly. You are correct in that there was much hype around that, especially with the introduction of western equipment and with Russian reversals in the previous year. That being said, no sane experienced person was saying it would work, including me. Without air superiority, the Ukrainians never had a chance to break through a layered Russian defense in depth. That offensive however, did stall the Russians ever since, pretty much to the lines we have today and caused the Russians to pursue their strategy of trading bodies for inches that they currently practice. And against a country with basically no navy, they still can't maneuver to an advantage in the Black Sea.

FIDO_Ags said:

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They don't have to take Crimea by force. They just have to kill enough Russians to make the war untenable for the Russians back home. We're not close to that, but neither are the Russians to forcing Ukraine to surrender. This is a political war, not an economic one.

As a footnote in history, the US killed over 2MM Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. The US lost 55,000, probably never lost a battle, but after 10 years of war, America had enough with no end in site.

Same for the Russians in Afghanistan.

Would you like me to list more examples?

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The war is still very popular in Russia. None of your examples are relevant.

Popular for now…things can change over time in a war of choice.

And why aren't those examples relevant?

PlaneCrashGuy said:

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FIDO_Ags said:

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They don't have to take Crimea by force. They just have to kill enough Russians to make the war untenable for the Russians back home. We're not close to that, but neither are the Russians to forcing Ukraine to surrender. This is a political war, not an economic one.

As a footnote in history, the US killed over 2MM Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. The US lost 55,000, probably never lost a battle, but after 10 years of war, America had enough with no end in site.

Same for the Russians in Afghanistan.

Would you like me to list more examples?

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The war is still very popular in Russia. None of your examples are relevant.

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There's no way for anyone to really know if the war is popular in Russia or not.

I know it wasn't fun for about 950,000 of them.

docb said:

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I know it wasn't fun for about 950,000 of them.

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Well they've addressed those malcontents……

Time has a piece about the drone war status. Archive link:

Quote:

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New drones were swarming the battlefield and didn't rely on jammable radio signals like the older, simpler models these were controlled instead by tiny cables as thin as thread stretching back to the operator.

For months, Russia has ramped up its deployment of fiber-optic drones, which are steered by the same data-transporting cables made of glass that revolutionized high-speed internet access. While the cables can occasionally tangle, cutting off the signal, they also give the weapon a major advantage because they cannot be disrupted by jamming systems.

Russian troops have used the weapons, which have a range of up to 12 miles, to destroy Ukrainian equipment and control key logistics routes, particularly in Russia's western Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops say the new technology contributed to their recent painful retreat.

Russia's fiber-optic drones, which have a longer battery life and more-precise targeting than wireless models, vastly outnumbered Ukraine's drones on the battlefield in Kursk, giving Russia a key advantage and making movement so risky that Ukrainian troops were at times stranded on the front line without food, ammunition or escape routes, soldiers said.

Ukraine is also using fiber-optic drones in Kursk and elsewhere, though in significantly smaller numbers as it races to catch up with Russia's mass production of the devices, in what soldiers and experts describe as the first time Russia has surpassed Ukraine in front-line drone technology since the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Russia's widespread use of the drones has given Moscow, which already outmans and outguns Ukraine, another military advantage at a critical moment for Kyiv, with the White House pushing for a quick peace dealand the future of U.S. military aid to the embattled country still unclear. This upper hand further contributes to Russia's confidence in victory and reluctance to agree to a ceasefire.

On its face, attaching a cable to a once-wireless drone may seem like a technological step back and there are some disadvantages, including the risk of a tangle. But the adjustment has generally made these self-detonating drones more deadly.

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Rob Campbell has a reasoned piece on the current diplomatic status.

Some (occasionally gruesome) video perspective of an elite Russian unite with an American reporter:

FIDO_Ags said:

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Popular for now…things can change over time in a war of choice.

And why aren't those examples relevant?

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When the Russian sentiment changes, I will agree with you. I've seen no evidence the war is unpopular or becoming unpopular in Russia, besides conjecture on a message board.

PlaneCrashGuy said:

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FIDO_Ags said:

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They don't have to take Crimea by force. They just have to kill enough Russians to make the war untenable for the Russians back home. We're not close to that, but neither are the Russians to forcing Ukraine to surrender. This is a political war, not an economic one.

As a footnote in history, the US killed over 2MM Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. The US lost 55,000, probably never lost a battle, but after 10 years of war, America had enough with no end in site.

Same for the Russians in Afghanistan.

Would you like me to list more examples?

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The war is still very popular in Russia. None of your examples are relevant.

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It took 10 years for the Russian people to say enough in Afghanistan.

It took almost as long for the US in Vietnam.

PlaneCrashGuy said:

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When the Russian sentiment changes, I will agree with you. I've seen no evidence the war is unpopular or becoming unpopular in Russia, besides conjecture on a message board.

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Embarrasing at so many levels.

And I've seen no evidence that Ukraine is willing to capitulate except for conjecture on a message board.

See how that works? Now you're back to a long war. You gonna dodge the question again?

PlaneCrashGuy said:

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FIDO_Ags said:

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Popular for now…things can change over time in a war of choice.

And why aren't those examples relevant?

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When the Russian sentiment changes, I will agree with you. I've seen no evidence the war is unpopular or becoming unpopular in Russia, besides conjecture on a message board.

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Tough know what the actual public Russian sentiment is when they get sent to Siberia (or worse) for speaking out against the government.

FIDO_Ags said:

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And I've seen no evidence that Ukraine is willing to capitulate except for conjecture on a message board.

See how that works? Now you're back to a long war. You gonna dodge the question again?

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I'm happy to show you some.

"I hope that there are not people in this room who still hope for some kind of miracle or lucky sign that will bring peace to Ukraine, the borders of 1991 or 2022, and that there will be great happiness afterward," Zaluzhnyi, who was a popular commander-in-chief of the armed forces for the first two years of the war, said in a speech at a forum in Kyiv on Thursday.

"Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko told the BBC last month that Ukraine may need to temporarily cede land as part of a peace deal with Russia. He said Zelenskiy might be forced to accept a "painful solution" to achieve peace although the Ukrainian people would never accept occupation by Russia."

https://www.reuters.com/world/former-ukrainian-commander-says-ukraine-cannot-restore-post-soviet-borders-media-2025-05-22/

While the president has remained steadfast in his position, others leaders in Ukraine are singing a different tune.

PlaneCrashGuy said:

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FIDO_Ags said:

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Popular for now…things can change over time in a war of choice.

And why aren't those examples relevant?

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When the Russian sentiment changes, I will agree with you. I've seen no evidence the war is unpopular or becoming unpopular in Russia, besides conjecture on a message board.

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The most revealing information concerning the unpopularity of the war is the number of people fleeing Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine.
Russian emigration during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

• According to a Russian IT industry trade group, approximately 50,00070,000 IT workers fled in the invasion's first month.

Seems hundreds of thousands have fled.
28.07.23 REVIEW Escape from War: New data puts the number of Russians who have left at more than 800,000 people
That estimate of 800,000 was as of July 28, 2023.
Question is whether Putin gives a flip or the numbers aren't critical to his insane obsession with his legacy.

Wasn't there a "resistance" or actual mutiny by Russia's Wagner forces at some point; was that against Putin or was it against their role in a military operation & the commander chosen to lead that operation?

Regardless, I've heard given the real power of the oligarchs, Putin's grip on power is tenuous, which must be even more so if reports about his health are true.

In any event, I've seen videos of Russian soldiers surrendering en masse & POW interviews by Ukrainian forces where Russian soldiers are fed up with the war, which is a slaughterhouse for both armies at this point.

Likewise, I've seen plenty of videos on TikTok, from Ukrainian sources, showing Ukrainian govt forces (alleged Asov Battalion survivors) dragging unwilling men into vans they've rounded up off the street & at bars for forced conscription.

Truth be told, NEITHER civilian population wants continued war; only the politicians of Russia & Ukraine, just like every other war ever fought in modern history.