Ukraine will become a proxy war.

[Woodznutz]

Between Russia and the West. Ukraine will likely be destroyed in the conflict, but the west will eventually defeat Putin's plan to resurrect the old Soviet Union. The Russian economy and social order will be destroyed as well. Putin has already implied the use of nuclear weapons but it is doubtful that his own military would actually use them knowing that the retaliation would utterly destroy Russia. The best scenario is that Putin is removed from power by his own people or assassinated.

China will not help Russia militarily as she has more to lose than even Russia.

 

[DudleySmith]

Between Russia and the West. Ukraine will likely be destroyed in the conflict, but the west will eventually defeat Putin's plan to resurrect the old Soviet Union. The Russian economy and social order will be destroyed as well. Putin has already implied the use of nuclear weapons but it is doubtful that his own military would actually use them knowing that the retaliation would utterly destroy Russia. The best scenario is that Putin is removed from power by his own people or assassinated.

China will not help Russia militarily as she has more to lose than even Russia.

India is still on the fence, so they still aren't on board. Considering they have a 2,000 mile border with Red China, that will be an interesting exercise for diplomacy. They're stuck in the middle, as they have always relied on Soviet and Russian materiel for their military, to avoid being dominated by the U.S.

 

[Esdraelon]

Putin has already implied the use of nuclear weapons but it is doubtful that his own military would actually use them knowing that the retaliation would utterly destroy Russia.

And if you're wrong? Putin isn't the kind of bully that backs down. He cannot afford to do so. Were you aware that under his watch Russia's nuclear doctrine changed to include the use of low-yield nukes in conventional warfare? It's estimated that Russia has a 10:1 advantage in such devices.

Let's say that the situation continues to slowly ramp up to the point where a no-fly zone is imposed by NATO. Russian and NATO/US pilots would be shot down. If NATO's forces crushed the Russian airforce, Putin could well decide to try to shock NATO into backing down by striking some NATO airbase with a nuke that's just powerful enough to totally destroy it. THEN WHAT?

 

[Woodznutz]

And if you're wrong? Putin isn't the kind of bully that backs down. He cannot afford to do so. Were you aware that under his watch Russia's nuclear doctrine changed to include the use of low-yield nukes in conventional warfare? It's estimated that Russia has a 10:1 advantage in such devices.

Let's say that the situation continues to slowly ramp up to the point where a no-fly zone is imposed by NATO. Russian and NATO/US pilots would be shot down. If NATO's forces crushed the Russian airforce, Putin could well decide to try to shock NATO into backing down by striking some NATO airbase with a nuke that's just powerful enough to totally destroy it. THEN WHAT?

That's why the West must wage a protracted war and limit the fighting to Ukraine, using conventional weapons, and engage in close combat. The Ukrainian fighters must be supplied with all the conventional weapons needed.

 

[task0778]

Putin could well decide to try to shock NATO into backing down by striking some NATO airbase with a nuke that's just powerful enough to totally destroy it. THEN WHAT?

Then we have WWIII. The west responds and the shit hits the fan. But I highly doubt Putin does that.

 

[Woodznutz]

The Russian people have been duped into believing that Ukraine is a threat to them. When they realize that Ukraine has been totally destroyed by Putin and the 'threat' is gone they will insist that Putin end his adventure before Russia itself is under threat of attack. If Putin overcomes Ukraine and moves against the NATO countries to the west Russia will come under attack as well. At that point the Russian people will rebel.

 

[DudleySmith]

And if you're wrong? Putin isn't the kind of bully that backs down. He cannot afford to do so. Were you aware that under his watch Russia's nuclear doctrine changed to include the use of low-yield nukes in conventional warfare? It's estimated that Russia has a 10:1 advantage in such devices.

Let's say that the situation continues to slowly ramp up to the point where a no-fly zone is imposed by NATO. Russian and NATO/US pilots would be shot down. If NATO's forces crushed the Russian airforce, Putin could well decide to try to shock NATO into backing down by striking some NATO airbase with a nuke that's just powerful enough to totally destroy it. THEN WHAT?

Most sane planners know it's only a matter of time before some nutjob let's nukes loose thanks to the proliferation. It's just a matter of who and when. Do you think it's better to wait until he builds up better and more powerful nukes, or finish the cretin off now while he's weak? WE don't need nukes to finish him off, and can do so before he fires off many if any at all; he just said 'nukes' so the bedwetters would piss themselves and run around crying, anyway. He would rather try and survive a domestic coup attempt than to die for certain in a response to letting any nukes fly at anybody. Poison and bio weapons are more likely anyway.

 

[task0778]

The Russian people have been duped into believing that Ukraine is a threat to them.

This is what happens when the ruling party owns or controls the media, the people only hear what they want them to hear. We aren't quite there yet in this country (IMHO), but free speech is under attack daily and much of our media is Leftist. Like when they buried the story about Hunter Biden's laptop or the never-ending crap about Trump that was mostly un-verified but they ran with it anyway. And then turned out to be false.

And then there's academia that is mostly teaching our kids what to think instead of how to think.

Back to Putin, I can't see him using tactical nukes. The world outrage would be ferocious and even the Chinese would isolate him. I doubt he would go that far.

 

[Woodznutz]

This is what happens when the ruling party owns or controls the media, the people only hear what they want them to hear. We aren't quite there yet in this country (IMHO), but free speech is under attack daily and much of our media is Leftist. Like when they buried the story about Hunter Biden's laptop or the never-ending crap about Trump that was mostly un-verified but they ran with it anyway. And then turned out to be false.

And then there's academia that is mostly teaching our kids what to think instead of how to think.

Back to Putin, I can't see him using tactical nukes. The world outrage would be ferocious and even the Chinese would isolate him. I doubt he would go that far.

The media's main job is to attract customers for their sponsors. The irony is that those sponsors' ads are as deceiving as the news. It's actually quite amusing.