The War in Europe

It may be wishful thinking but I'm feeling a bit of a change in the NATO thinking. I've heard a few retired generals commenting that it may be possible for Ukraine to actually win if they get enough help (short of air and boots).The other part is a feeling that if we don't fight this war successfully by proxy now, we'll be fighting it for real in 10 years time when Russia will be better prepared.But they still feel they're walking a tightrope. Personally I think the steady ratcheting up is correct - so long as we are actually doing enough.

If Ukraine are resisting the Russians but not defeating them are we doing enough?

They defeated them in Kyiv. Who knows...

The Russians got their asses kicked in Afghanistan and I'm hoping for the same outcome in Ukraine. I hope we are actually helping that happen!

You and Tangle are right, the Russian may very well defeat themselves, again. The human cost has been too high, though, and is not about to stop.What can we do to shorten this thing? Force it to a conclusion.

Hitler's gains in Europe and Putin's attacks on Chechnya, Georgia, the Crimea, the Donbas region and now all of Ukraine seem right in line with each other. They both seem like plays for more territory, influence, power and respect.Wasn't Stalin's main concern about Finland its potential use as an enemy base of operations? The amount of territory he was originally demanding wasn't that great.--Percy

Hitler's aim was tangible: lebensraum. Putin's goal seems to be restoration of the glory of the Tsarist Empire. And his methodology is diminishing Russia's influence and respect. Putin claims the same thing. That may be a good thing, allowing him to pull back and save face by declaring "victory".

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's full 60 Minutes interview in Ukrainian

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Language translation is more art than science. Different translators have varied opinions of words and their meaning. For our interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, we used the services of three, independent, interpreters of the Ukrainian language. The first translation occurred in the moment, simultaneously, during the interview. Later, a second translator watched the entire interview on video and translated Ukrainian to English verbatim. In the final editing process, a third translator sat with us and verified the edits that are always necessary for clarity and concision. At some points in our story, when phrases in English and Ukrainian did not match each other in length, we made the best effort possible to convey Mr. Zelenskyy's comments with precision and context. As a service to Ukrainian speakers, we are posting the hour-long, April 7th interview in its entirety.

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The wartime president: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Scott Pelley in Kyiv (translated English version)Every time I see Zelenskyy I admire him more. He seems to be a man of dignity, honor, integrity and a humble self awareness. He appears to be a really good leader also! Character does still matter.Edited by Tanypteryx, : No reason given.

I totally agree. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to be respected. He almost makes me want to have the guts (along with my country) to stand for freedom and against totalitarianism. I still have fears, but if that's what it takes, it is indeed a spiritual war as well as an actual one. We live in serious times.

I was hoping to find a definitive list of which countries support Russia and which support Ukraine, but no such luck. I put this together myself, and it isn't complete, though all the major countries are on it. If someone knows of some news outlet that has a done a complete job please post it.I think some countries must be waffling, because I found some contradictory information out there. For example, I found one article saying that China does not support Russia, but other information said they did, and I've read articles about China continuing trade with Russia, aiding Russia with sanctions, and issuing sympathetic propaganda, so I put China in the "Supports Russia" category. I had similar problems with Hungary and Turkey, which I also put in the "Supports Russia" category.Supports Russia:

• Armenia
• Belarus
• China
• Cuba
• Hungary
• India
• Iran
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Pakistan
• Syria
• Turkey
• Uzbekistan
• Venezuela

Supports Ukraine:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Iceland
• Italy
• Japan
• Kenya
• Libya
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• South Korea
• Sweden
• United Kingdom
• United States

Neutral:

• Algeria
• Bolivia
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• South Africa
• Sudan
• Tanzania

Some sources:

• Chart: Where Russia's Attack on Ukraine Was Condemned | Statista
• Countries Supporting Russia & Ukraine - Complete List & Reason
• https://www.miamiherald.com/...d/world/article258822748.html

--PercyEdited by Percy, : Typo.

Couple of question marksHungary is an EU and NATO member so whether it's of much consequence what their embarrassing leader says and does is mootTurkey is providing arms to Ukraine.

A comparision of the two militaries by a guy who knows what he's talking about.I Commanded U.S. Army Europe. Here's What I Saw in the Russian and Ukrainian Armies. - The Bulwark

I read that earlier today. Amazing and insightful.

Hungary is maintaining its joint military agreements with Russia and and is refusing to support the EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas. You could be right about Turkey. My distrust of Erdoğan probably influenced me.--PercyEdited by Percy, : Typo.

The Washington Post is currently running an opinion piece by Michael Gerson that summed up my view pretty well (If Putin isn’t stopped in Ukraine, the Baltics are likely next). Here's the concluding paragraph:

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The lesson? Ukraine, with aggressive help from NATO, must defeat Russian forces, or the United States might soon face the question: Do we really fight for Lithuania? Though we are obligated, the decision and task would not be easy. Helping draw a NATO redline at Ukraine could help the United States preserve itself from impossible choices of the future.

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Taking on NATO head on if it means restoring Soviet Union era vassal states isn't something that Russia would shy away from. Given the dearth of NATO troops and armaments in the Baltic States and no NATO bases at all, the Russian army would swarm over the Baltic states and present the west with a fait accompli.--Percy