Anyone complaining about the stubbornness of the Europeans and how they continue to fuel the Ukraine conflict while refusing any diplomacy must always bear in mind that there is a high probability that the Europeans are looking for reparations payments in the event of a Russian defeat. The EU (but especially the UK) is facing severe fiscal turmoil, with recurring turbulence on the bond markets. Think of what happened in England a few quarters ago. Both the expropriation of Russian assets and the attempt to get the Americans more involved again point to the same strategy.
You have to read Fiat Circus in this way to understand why Putin has apparently declared the Donbas a zone of fiscal bleeding of the West.
At the same time, the West could flip this on Russia's head easily. Nothing repairs an economy like a good ol war. You put the Western economies on war footing like Putin has done and poof a lot of these issues go away as we have seen time and time again over history.
Not saying we need or want war but it is an easy way to flip this on Putin and call his bluff. He doesn't have the army of the USSR and is struggling in Ukraine even with his gains. Imagine modern Western fighter jets over the skies and what that would do.
Putin's "peace" isn't peace either. He just wants everything and Ukraine to admit to all the falsehoods he has pumped into the world. He ignores and awards heinous war crimes by his troops and while Ukraine has done so bad stuff to if we look at the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk the warfare was completely different from how Russia just razes cities and towns.
The obstacle to a ceasefire is NATO mainly USA
The plan is to sacrifice Ukraine to weaken Russia
NATO doesn’t have the stomach for direct conflict vs Russia
The Kursk offensive is an interesting tactic. What is the objective? Gain Russian territory?
in my opinion, the kursk offensive serves the purpose of continuing to receive aid money from the partner states and thus keeping the bond market liquid. always keep an eye on Ukrainian government bonds as well
I think it was more of a moral boost. The Eastern front is bad right now and throwing reinforcements at it wasn't going to help. By going into Kursk you embarrass Putin which is a huge win as well as gain a way to launch those crazy stupid drones that Ukraine has developed that is blowing up all those refineries and storage areas.
Kursk was interesting because it did really help out the Sumy region and recently Ukraine has begun pushing back in Kharkiv.
Moral boost was huge for the country though they needed a big win and they got one with Kursk
I mean emboldening your enemies by letting them get what they want is a very stupid and we have plenty of evidence it is doesn't work.
Russia is already cooked and was cooked after a year and a half. Now its just well sad.
With regards to NATO and the US I will just drop this here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hZJwQlM_L0
I can't contribute to you directly here but for all the commenters that say we need more "diplomacy" and that's on the west and their fault (EU, etc) then I can just say how can you negotiate with a guy like Putin.
"There are no plans or intentions to attack Ukraine." He went on to say, "There is no reason to fear some kind of escalatory scenario."
A google helps.
The debate is fruitless if You exclude diplomacy which is, imo, the only ethical way to manage conflicts between human beings.
But I'll leave You this here from my Nostr to hopefully reflect on the background of this conflict.
https://njump.me/nevent1qqswyd62lu34qmatqe7pjnvzex7kaqztu4xjl2g04r2vn39acl8w9cqpz4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezummcw3ezuer9wchsygyx8uk925nka8kh8zfnkrh7u6czzpp0zms498wh24cy3pdc0lhpsvpsgqqqqqqsppkyup
the only thing that cunt Putin is bleeding dry is the russian economy. listen to some non kremlin russian economists like Igor Lipshits.
they've obliterated their soverign wealth fund, lost more working-age men than all the previous wars combined (chechnia 1 and 2 and afghan) and they keep upping the payouts for military contracts and death payments. where;s all this money coming from? central bank barley keeping the thing afloat.
and wheres the money coming from to rebuild all the territory they have seized? crimea has been a financial drain since they took it over. it's net negative.
as for the eu fueling the conflict, you do realize that war production boosts GDP , right? all russias GDP is oil and their own military spending. looks good on paper
they give away old stuff and commission new stuff. cantillion all the way, but don't think for a minute that it will change anything for the economics of the EU