Ukraine can’t retake Crimea soon, Pentagon tells lawmakers in classified briefing
http://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/01/ukraine-crimea-russia-pentagon-00080799

"Unless Putin is completely stupid, he cannot believe that he is winning this war. He is now simply throwing thousands of poorly trained conscripts across open fields into the teeth of machine guns and artillery with predictable results. Every month his army gets weaker as planes helicopters tanks etc are lost at a rate that cannot be replaced while Ukraine continually gets increasingly sophisticated weapons."

Go ahead and keep drinking the Kool-aid Shadowminister if that's what you choose
But it will be that much worse when it all falls apart, that you were buying into Western propaganda, which won't be too long by the look of things.

Ukrainians are desperately trying to establish new defensive lines before they withdraw from Bakhmut and Siversk.
I hear that Ukraine is starting to have a problem with it's troops committing suicide.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/02/russian-forces-could-regain-initiative-as-ukraine-war-drags-on

"There is also anxiety in political circles about how long the existing frontline troops in Ukraine’s military – however committed they have been – can be asked to carry on fighting without a long break. A concern about the level of suicide among Ukrainian soldiers 'as a result of battlefield stress' was raised last month by the UK Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith after he visited a military hospital near Kharkiv."

- Meanwhile Russia has half a million fresh troops ready to go.
And remember nothing the West gives to Ukraine will result in a capability that Russians don't already have.

PUTIN'S 500,000 TROOP ASSAULT 'GAINS WORLD'S ATTENTION'

ZERO HOUR How Putin is preparing massive assault with ‘500,000 men on two fronts’ – and Ukraine think they know the EXACT date
http://www.the-sun.com/news/7287999/putin-new-assault-ukraine-date/

- I'm not sure it's sensible for Russia to cross the Dnieper just yet, but as I explained earlier I'm not a military strategist.

shadowminister,

We need to question such a strong support of a Russian tyrant
who's invaded another country, in an attempt to restore the
previous empire.

A sovereign country, Ukraine, and is now killing its people
and sacrificing so many of his own.

Questions need to be asked - and not be diverted with the
pretext of it being an infringement of "freedom of speech"
to question. Followed by accusations and suggestions
of disloyalty to one's own country by questioning.
It all amounts to diversion. Wind and mirrors.

My father suggested a long time ago - that anyone
supporting the Soviet Regime and its dictators should
actually go and live under that regime so that
these people could become
aware of who and what they are supporting so overwhelmingly.
My parents could not possibly support something they had
experienced and from which they had fled.

It is concerning however that someone whose family has
supposedly lived in this country for generations,
And whose relatives have supposedly fought for
freedom is now supporting an evil dictator who wants to
re-instate a previous regime that will continue to subjugate
people. How can that be?

We need to ask - where does their
real loyalty lie - and to whom?
Certainly not to freedom and human rights, and the sovereignty
of nations.

AC,

Using the SUN as your information source? and then cocking it up.

Russia has 350 000 troops on the front line including most of the recently mobilized and another 150 000 poorly trained and equipped conscripts if you read the article, not 500 000 fresh soldiers. This might make an impact until the 321 tanks (and now an additional 90 leopard 1s) plus the 100s of armoured vehicles make their appearance in Ukraine.

As for matching capabilities, Russia has nothing to match the HIMARS, the Leopard 2 or the Abrams tanks. With the new 150km range HIMARS ammo Ukraine can begin hitting infrastructure in Russia.

As for Kool aid, it looks as though you have been swallowing the Russian bullsh1t for a year.

Putin’s approval rating ends 2022 at 81%, boosted by support for the war in Ukraine
http://www.intellinews.com/putin-s-approval-rating-ends-2022-at-81-boosted-by-support-for-the-war-in-ukraine-265628/

Guardian Essential poll: Albanese approval rating dips in sign of gruelling political year ahead
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/24/guardian-essential-poll-albanese-approval-rating-dips-in-sign-of-gruelling-political-year-ahead
"The first Guardian Essential poll for 2023 shows voter approval of the prime minister dipped from 60% in December to 55% in January – which is Albanese’s lowest result since last August. Voter approval of the prime minister had been steady during the last quarter of 2022, ranging between 59% and 60%.

Albanese’s approval slide is accompanied by a four-point rise in voter disapproval. In December, 27% of Guardian Essential respondents disapproved of the prime minister’s performance, and that increased to 31% in January."

I've explained my position many times Foxy, and I'm tired of wasting my time with you on this topic.
I think I'll just have to accept that my reasoning is simply beyond the comprehension of your cold war hangover mentality.
Either 116 million Russians love war and want to reconquer the former Soviet countries, or there's something you just don't comprehend.

AC,

Russians do not want to re-conquer anyone. It's
Mr Putin who does. The Russians are not given freedom
of choice. Their freedoms are dictated by Mr Putin.
Any any opposition to him is dealt with in the usual
manner.

As for my comprehension? Yours appears to be the one
lacking. Either that or it's a falsified one and you get
off on purposely stirring. Which I suspect you do.
And I'm glad to oblige. (smile).