"The sanctions are to make it harder for Russia to make weapons for its war in Ukraine"
- No, that's the 'official' story, but I accept the argument about weapons production.
The unofficial one is that they want to make life hard for the Russian people in order to ferment dissent, civil unreast and the people rising up against Putin to oust him themselves.
That's the Wests Modus Operandi, and this is the real purpose of sanctions.

I'm not saying that Russia may have done some of those things as you suggested, but the West does it everywhere.
- It's like a standard part of their foreign policy in the way they treat other nations.

Take a look here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisation
>>At the Dushanbe summit, members agreed to "oppose intervention in other countries' internal affairs on the reason of 'humanitarianism' and 'protecting human rights;' and support the efforts of one another in safeguarding the five countries' national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and social stability."<<

Why did they discuss and agree to this?
- Because that's what the West does.

I've always wondered if some of these countries would be move to become more democratic leaning if they did not have to take steps to prevent the West acting this way. The second they give the West an opening, the West will move to try to exploit it cause civil unrest and install it's own puppet rulers, just as they did in Ukraine.

Do you remember the Geoffrey Pratt and Victoria Nuland phone call discussing the leaders whom they were considering to install?

AC,

You have yet to provide any concrete evidence that the US instigated the Maidan uprising. Whereas Russia illegally occupied Crimea and instigated the separatist movement in Donbas.

I see that Russia is now sending T54s and T55s to the front. Here's a picture of a T55 against a Challenger 2.

http://virginiatech.sportswar.com/uploads/2023/3/887520698911.jpg

Paul,

The flaws in your plan are:
-The Russians are presently refusing anything that might cause them to return territory to Ukraine.
- The Russians can't be trusted to run a free and fair poll in Ukraine states.
- The Russians have imported Russians to Ukraine and transferred Ukrainians to Russia.
- The Ukrainians are busy giving the Russians a thrashing and soon will have recovered all their territory.

"You have yet to provide any concrete evidence that the US instigated the Maidan uprising. Whereas Russia illegally occupied Crimea and instigated the separatist movement in Donbas."

What are you, stupid?
- Did you even read the last thing I wrote?

"Do you remember the Geoffrey Pratt and Victoria Nuland phone call discussing the leaders whom they were considering to install?"

So you're saying in shadowministers La-la Land, that the Maidan was completely grassroots, no foreign help whatsoever, and then the US just comes in afterwards and decides who the leader of the country is going to be, not the protesters of the Ukrainian citizens or a referendum, it's members of US State who department decide the new leader?

Is that how it works in your jellyfish brain?

F* the EU: Alleged audio of US diplomat Victoria Nuland swearing
http://youtu.be/L2XNN0Yt6D8

Victoria Nuland US has invested $5 billion in Ukraine 26 April 2014 - 4mths after the Maidan
Victoria Nuland gives a speech at the National Press Club, Washington DC confirming that the USA had spent $5 billion promoting 'democracy' in the Ukraine. The speech was sponsored by Chevron Oil, the US oil giant
http://youtu.be/rPVs5VuI8XI

Nov 2013 Pre-Maidan! Ukraine Deputy has proof of USA staging civil war in Ukraine - Read the Transcript
http://youtu.be/y9hOl8TuBUM

TechCamp Kyiv 2012
The U.S. Embassy hosted TechCamp Kyiv at Master Klass Cultural Center in Kyiv, Ukraine on September 12 and 13. TechCamp Kyiv marks the 14th TechCamp supporting Secretary Clinton's Civil Society 2.0, an initiative which builds the digital literacy of civil society organizations around the world.
http://youtu.be/bpIoBUDuL3U

What is Civil Society 2.0
http://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/150607.pdf

Civil Society 2.0?: How the Internet Changes State-Society Relations in Authoritarian Regimes: The Case of Cuba
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1763846

I also once saw a video of one of the Maidan active shooters saying he was a part of Right Sector and working on behalf of the US, but I don't have the video anymore (and there was no way to prove it was authentic)

I've also showed you how the US uses the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and USAID to fund 5th column operations around the world
http://www.ned.org/

And you also have George Soros with his Open Society Foundation helping efforts around the World and he's the largest donor to the Democratic Party.

AC,

I see that the Russian economy ran at a deficit of $35bn on Feb 23 after a $25bn deficit in January. This is due to the sanctions and price caps on oil and refined products and the general sanctions that have seen Russian export shrink drastically.

Symptoms of this include Russian soldiers not getting paid and part of the Baikonur space hub being seized by Kazakhstan for non-payment of debts. While this may affect ordinary Russians, Russia needs vast amounts of money to wage this war.

The massive increase in spending on Russia's illegal war is presently being funded from the Wealth fund which at this rate won't survive until July.

Ukrainians have become very proficient at killing Russian tanks, with the result that many tank battalions have simply disappeared.

Russia is losing this war.

"Russia is losing this war."

You're like a bloody cracked record mate.
Whare's all your military gains?
You don't have any, and China will provide arms to Russia if need be.

I want the killing to stop and you want it to continue.
- So like just shut up already.
And btw, I think overthrowing democraticaaly elected leaders of countries in armed coups sponsored by the West should be legal, and I don't blame Russia for moving to protect Russian speaking people after a western installed regime has been killing them for 8 years.

Ukraine certainly isn't winning this war.