How about Poland? Any figures? As for Russia initiating aggressive wars, let me think (just the last century or so): Invasion of Poland - 1920. Invasion of Poland - 1939. Winter War of - 1939-40. Invasion of Baltic States - 1940. Occupation of Bessarabia and part of Bukovina - 1940. Berlin uprising in 1953. Hungary - 1956. Czechoslovakia - 1968. Afghanistan - 1979. Abkhazia. Transnistria. First of the two Chechen wars. 2008 invasion of Georgia. 2014 invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful as hell. Please provide me with a similar list for Poland (I can think of 3 items - invasion of Lithuania and the capture of Vilnius, and two invasions of Czechoslovakia - in 1939 and 1968). Or for Czechoslovakia (excluding Slovakia in WW2) - no such items.
Well, I think You share same abitions with USA in this case Lets forget deep history, the old men are dead, we will not mention Napoleon and even Hitler (because there are some examples of Russian expansion too), lets start freshly in 1991 and tell me european country which has some "boundary" problems with its neighbours. There was one maior problem with division of Yugoslavia. In the same time we split with Slovakia (peacefully), Sweden gives some mountain to Finland as a gift and that is. Meantime Russia anected Abchazia, South Osetia, Crimea and has power problems with Baltic states, Japan and even Belorusia is uncertain about its fate if they will chose to join EU. The problem is that Russia gives a fuck. Putin clearly said that he wants NATO in 1997 borders, so even my country could possibly suffer "the consequences" is we are not obeying Putin's wish, am I true?
Honestly, I find it hard to believe that you are seriously asking such questions. But since you say you're doing it seriously, let's talk about it. NATO was created in the conditions of confrontation with the Soviet Union in 1949. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, as did the Warsaw Pact. Now the question is - Against whom does the NATO bloc continue to be friends? What prevents a defensive alliance from becoming an attacking alliance? Against whom is the US deploying missile defense systems in Poland? Well, in the end, if the United States decides to use the entire military potential, incl. nuclear charges located at their bases in Europe against Russia. Which member of NATO will be able to stop them? You say that it's hard for you to believe in such a situation, but you know 30 years ago I thought that America was our best friend, then Yugoslavia happened. 20 years ago I thought that European countries would be happy with economic integration with Russia, then Georgia happened. And 10 years ago I was sure that all tensions in international relations between Russia and the West would be resolved, then Ukraine happened. Seriously, build your own European alliance with blackjack and hookers, remove the US bases from your territory with all their weapons and then no one will have strange questions in your opinion. We are not afraid of NATO, we are afraid of what all this has become under the strict leadership of the United States. Just think. We have been talking about NATO expansion for since 1999. Who even tried to discuss this with us? None. The responses were in the form of "this does not concern you" or jokes about the Iranian threat. What could prevent the introduction of all the current sanctions, even without a military operation in Ukraine? You know and we know that the US is not happy with our current president. What prevents them from destroying our economy under any pretext until we starve here and go to overthrow the government? You don't understand that in these 30 years of so-called democracy we have got rid of illusions about friends from the USA or Europe. All this friendship turned out to be destructive. I certainly do not think that the Czech Republic is hatching insidious plans to attack Russia. But the European Union and NATO have other external managers who will not even ask for your opinion. Although it probably sounds crazy to you.
It was part of older conflict. Czechoslovakia captured that contested area in 1919 and 1920, Poland could not fight back, as it was involved in defending Europe against the Bolshevik hordes. What is interesting Poland wanted to recapture Zaolzie (as we call it) in 1945, but the Soviet Army warned us not to. As of the war of 1920 - that was not Russian territory. Russia lost it to Germany in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, with the collapse of German Empire Poland, Western Ukrainian Republic, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia became independent states within borders of the former German Empire under the Treaty of Versailles (ever heard of it)? There was no justification for the 1939-1940 wars either. Russia has long lost those territories under international treaties. If Russia wishes so we can go back to 1610 in territorial claims. Or if Mongolia so wishes - to 1241
Don't forget that Russian Empire and USSR were a multinational. Actually, it was some kind of federation of states. And after the end of Soviet Union, some very old conflicts raised again. Abkhazia didn't want to be with Georgia (they are different ethnic), the same as South Ossetia. Check wiki about the political status of that republics, they are not part of Russia. Crimea was part of Russia since 1854. And 95% of people voted to return to Russia, they have rights to it. Russia has no problems with Baltic states, they were the first who separate from Soviet Union. "Whoever forgets history is doomed to repeat it"
Well, from my strategic perspective... Russia clearly tried to intimidate the Ukranian goverment by large scale operation, precise streaks to infrastructure, communications and possible capturing of Zelensky and Ukranian goverment. It should be the fast (not blitzkrieg, but shock attack) and low loses operation... But in my opinion it fails. - UA forces didnt colapsed - UA state retain maiority of the functions - Zelensky and the goverment are still there - Sanctions are harder than expected - supplies from west are flowing - and mainly UA forces retain its will to fight - They are not recognize you as a liberator, but only as a occupant (except maybe Luhans and Doneck) And now, from my strategic perspective RF forces struggle, because: - There is a catch in counting loses, 200 000 troops doesnt mean that there are 200 000 riflemen, tank crew or pilots. In every army there are only 10% of soldiers fighting. The rest are logistic, service, repairs, transportation, command, specialized, medical, etc. Even gen. Patton noted that if one division on 10 000 men lost 1000, its fighting capatibility reduces to zero, because loses are mainly in riflemen, tank crew, etc. And You normaly cant make a riflemen from a cook or nurse. So, the point is that RF has loses around 12-14 000 (loses are dead, captured, mainly wounded or MIA). So the fighting capatibility of 200 000 reduces to one half (half of only 20-30 000 truly fighting riflemen). Thats why RF is transporting troops from Chechnya, Syria, Osetia and Abchasia and probably there will be some partial mobilisation because You are running out of fighting men. - Ukranian forces suffer greater loses, but they can replace them better. For attack operation You need at least 1 year trained recruit. For defense You need few days of training with rifle and NLAW to deploy homeguards. - there is a lack of strategic objetive and the way how to reach it. (similar to the USA in Vietnam and SSSR in Afganistan). You clearly cannot conquer Ukraine (not enought men) and shelling cities will propably not lead to surrender (it never leaded to surrender, not in WWII not in any other war). So you are strategicaly stuck. - logistically it is a hell. Tanks and armored vehicles need not only fuel and ammunition, they need repairs and crew needs the rest (most of your troops are fighting 3 weeks, they need to be replaced). You are transporting all stuff throught bad roads full of ambushes. - logistic on the Ukranian side is much simplier. Troops are not fighting non-stop, they are home with enought food and shelter and they are using mostly man-carried weapons. - So if You cannot win, You will sooner or later lose. That's why im there, to discuss if we are sharing the same point of view about strategic situation.
German new chancellor Olaf Scholz is a grandchild of a decorated SS General. Kinda make me a bit uneasy.
I believe it was about military bases with an offensive weapon. In the current state, the Czech Republic is not a military threat to Russia. Denial of the radar placement was a smart decision. Again, Russia doesn't need to capture Poland, Czech, Slovak, etc. It's a foreign country, foreign language, foreign mentality. We ever don't ask to be our brothers or friends. Just don't be our enemy, it's enough.
Let me say something about the soldiers on both sides. Nobody wants to die and nobody wants to kill. When the russian column advance they are moving till first tank got hit (RPG, NLAW, etc.) then there is some firing and then Russians go back, reporting "causalities and heavy defense". Ukranians dont fire at retreating troops. Both sides have their job done and nobody wants to escalate violence more. There were attempts to "motivate" soldiers to be more active and advancing... well, your officers (and generals) doing this are often targets of snipers, who spare lives of non advancing soldiers but give a shot to this such of officers.
Dude, I thought we were talking seriously here and not pouring propaganda on each other. In the entire second Chechen campaign, Russia lost 4572 killed and this affected almost everyone, either close friends or acquaintances. And here you are drawing a figure 3 times larger, with no visible evidence. Exclusively from Ukrainian pictures from the Internet... If you seriously believe that our government is hiding corpses from relatives, you have serious problems with understanding the situation there.
But if You compare it to the post cold war boundary problems of other european nations Russia seems as aggressive as an USA. Russia looks like warmonger, who (dont know why) wanna fight with USA via Europe. Why are You not settle your problems on far east borders or via north pole?
The same way worked since paleolithic people and will work a long time after us.. It's in human nature.
Yes, grand child, GRAND CHILD! There are two generations from WWII. The current germans are not these nazis and unfortunatelly actual russians are not the same who liberated my country (1945)
Sill, there were only less than a hundred of SS generals in entire 3rd Reich. Statistically, this should be quite impossible that German canceler is a top tier Nazi descendant. Some of these not-nazis now deny medical access to Russians in Germany and bully our children's in schools there. And Scholz made a statement that Germany is no longer feel morally responsive for our losses in WW2.
Yes, so why your troops are fighting in Ukraine? It doesnt make sense? You want it to be part of Russia? I dont think so. You are trying to be friend with them? Not the best way to express. You are trying to make them russian puppets like Belarussia? That is the reason they are fighting with Russia and dont want to surrender. So what is the point of Ukranian operation?