jfish26 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:32 am
Russia is the aggressor. Russia made war on Ukraine, and (as happens in wars of aggression of strong versus comparatively weak), took territory. Frankly, it's a testament to the will and toughness of Ukraine and its people that they didn't break immediately (which was Russia's plan).
Ukraine, as it received materiel from the West
with Ukraine revving materiel from the West for like at least 8 years BEFORE Russia invaded.
And that's not to say Russia is not the aggressor! Russia is so totally the aggressor! I'm just not sure Russia is the ONLY aggressor here.
first defended against Russia's offensive actions and then initiated counteroffensive actions to win back control of its sovereign territory.
and both Ukraine's defense, and counter offenses, have mostly been failures (as far as either preventing or gaining back territory from Russia)
Those counteroffensive actions (as happens in wars) stalled and then, particularly as Western support (specifically, OUR support) slowed to a trickle, failed. And now, as you well note, Ukraine is back on the defensive.
so the issue then is our support slowed to a trickle? Would the solution to that then be, some carte blanche support for Ukraine rather than the piecemeal? Or something more aggressive and direct yet?
I don't understand what is complicated about this.
The only reason to bring all the flotsam and jetsam into this discussion of the present status of the war,* over and over and over again, is to muddy the waters.
* I can't believe I have to say this out loud, again, but: NOBODY is saying Ukraine or the US is historically of entirely clean hands. This discussion is about the present status of the war, and your need to make the fact of "Ukraine loosing 1/5 of its territory to Russia anyway" support something it does not.
and I can't believe I have to say THIS out loud, AGAIN, but: if you can be cognizant of the fact that neither the Ukraine nor the US is "historically of entirely clean hands," then actually apply that cognizance to the discussion about the present status of the war!
cuz this angle you and so many others here are taking like, "yea the US and Ukraine have historically been dirty-handed about so much other stuff, but no doubt they're fighting the good fight now!" is just, like, holy-shit levels of cognitive dissonance.