Russia Signals Possible Scale Back Of War Objectives
Fmr. Obama White House aide Ben Rhodes joins MSNBC’s Alex Wagner to discuss his assessment about Russia signaling it’s “retreating” from its larger ambitions to take over all of Ukraine given how much Russian forces are struggling. Rhodes also discusses on the broader struggle between democracies and autocracies.
There should be NO negotiations about ending the invasion. That gives Putin the chance to get something he didn't have. Just say that fighting will continue as long as Russian forces are in Ukraine. That should include the Crimea. If he understands that all he gets for continued occupation is more negative effects from the sanctions and continued embarrassment of his military and a decrease in his support by both the public and his inner circle, has no choices. Ukraine should also insist on reparations. All sanctions should remain in place until those conditions are met. The improvement of his economy by reducing sanctions is necessary to allow for the paying of reparations. He obviously wants some face-saving sop so he can claim he accomplished his goals, which would justify his leaving. He is sufficiently practiced in lying to create a lie that would sound plausible to some Russians but it is likely that the inner circle would convince him to retire.
First 20 years of my life was during the cold war. The USSR, Stalin in particular, was worse than Hitler and Nazi's. Hitler killed 6 million people but between 1934 and 1946 the NKVD ran the gulag and they killed 10 million. So as terrible as the Nazi were, USSR was worse. Putin doesn't consider that the USSR was made up of 12 member states. Putin thinks Russia is the USSR. When Putin took office he had the Russian national anthem removed and replaced by the Soviet nation anthem. There are Russian tanks on the battlefield in Ukraine waving the Soviet flag.
The Warsaw Pact (May 14, 1955) was an agreement with the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was made up of twelve member states and dissolved in December 26, 1991. The Warsaw Pact died with the Soviet Union because that is who the deal was made with. But Putin thinks Russia is the USSR!!! He thinks those agreements still apply because as long as he lives the Soviet Union lives.
That is what we are dealing with and we need to end it here and now. Just like we did in Germany.
The biggest loss for Russia is the total destruction of their image as having a strong military. Seeing the carnage inflicted on them by the Ukraine army and civilian fighters would seem reasonable to think they would not have a chance against NATO forces. Honestly, I am so relieved that my perception of the Russian military being an elite organization has been wrong all these years. The only thing Ukraine has to worry about is they are outnumbered. Other than that, they can win this war.
Russia withdrawal will certainly de-escalate things. However, it doesn’t make things right. Reparations should be part of whatever disengagement. This plus, full unrestricted sovereignty, No NATO membership but can have military alliances with neighbors who are NATO and also no restrictions on militarization of Ukraine.
