Why Putin Declaring Success In Mariupol Is 'Face-Saving Theater'
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed “success” in Mariupol but ordered his forces not to storm the site where the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the besieged port city is holding out. Jason Beardsley and Jane Harman discuss.
It doesn't matter if he is saving face, one should always build a golden bridge for your enemy to retreat on.
Ukraine is quickly showing one does not need nuclear weapons to deter someone from occupying a country as long as it actively revolts.
Pentagon: "These are not whole planes, they are just a collection of plane parts assembled to ensure we didn't forget any and to make shipping and handling easier."
Usa spokesman: ah yes weve sent Artillery pieces to Ukraine. Why cant we send food? Because that would make to much sense right? We waste so much here in america.
I hope the Ukrainians can get the equipment soon enough they can get down to Mariupol and gain control of it again. Would like to see them shell parts of Russia and let rhe people there feel the pain Putin is doing to Ukraine.
The Kerch bridge (joins Crimea to Taman peninsula, Russia) looks very vulnerable to me, especially to damage from a ship passing underneath those two central spans.
The key point of 'taking' a city is to be able to use it logistically as a hub, your rear logictical train needs to be able to pass through unmolested. The position of Mariupol is not particularly good for that in the first place because their is no rail line from it to Crimea, the one rail line just goes north into Donetsk. While Russia could use roads this is far from ideal due to the huge distance so they are left with supplying Crimea and the Kherson troops by sea. The 'land bridge' theory is really not what Russia wants, what it wants is to control the shores of the Sea of Azov so their entry into the black sea from Rostov can not be contested, they are seeking to control water not land as so many pundits claim.
What gets me is Russia claims this is not an invasion because legally it cannot send conscripts to fight in foreign lands... So if Ukraine 'isnt' being invaded then why can it not join NATO?
