Lol. Putin is so Dumb. Russia is Screwed.

Nike is evil wrote:

Hurt His Friends wrote:

Deprive the oligarchs and Putin loses pretty quickly. Sure, Russia can engage in some trade with China but there are a list of things that can be done economically.

Close SWIFT to Russia and Belarus

Western and allied nations expel all Russian nationals and deny them re-entry rights until Putin is ousted. (Like Miami winters? Too bad you will be in Moscow. Buy a good coat!)

The above nations freeze all bank accounts, seize property (homes, super yachts, private jets, mistresses’ apartments, etc.) and threaten to nationalize or sell off corporate assets like steel mills and aluminum foundries.

Get MBS to crank up oil production. Allied nations stop purchasing Russian crude.

Iran! Trump and Bebe are not around any longer. How about we resurrect that nuclear deal and you sell all of the oil that you can pump!

Of course, if Vlad suffers an untimely illness and tragically passes on, and you select a far more moderate and pragmatic leader, then we welcome you back, return your stuff, approve Nord Stream 2, and you get to join the G-8 again.

Think it over? I bet we can solve all of these little misunderstandings by June 1.

You underestimate how powerful China has become. It’s the only friend Putin needs. Again thanks to Nike and other evil US corporations.

This is why Putin and Xi have become best buds. Putin invades Ukraine and fears no sanctions because it’s financially supported by China. Meanwhile China gets to watch as the U.S. does nothing more than sanctions. They then are emboldened to take Taiwan will resort in the same light wrist slap.

Biden steps back and says well at least they aren’t taking any “NATO” territory. We go back to business as usual. These dictators are working together like Germany and Japan did in WW2. The problem is that America buys so much junk from China it’s screwed to actually stop them without WW3.

On to somethin wrote:

Nike is evil wrote:

You underestimate how powerful China has become. It’s the only friend Putin needs. Again thanks to Nike and other evil US corporations.

This is why Putin and Xi have become best buds. Putin invades Ukraine and fears no sanctions because it’s financially supported by China. Meanwhile China gets to watch as the U.S. does nothing more than sanctions. They then are emboldened to take Taiwan will resort in the same light wrist slap.

Biden steps back and says well at least they aren’t taking any “NATO” territory. We go back to business as usual. These dictators are working together like Germany and Japan did in WW2. The problem is that America buys so much junk from China it’s screwed to actually stop them without WW3.

I’ve heard this theory. Let’s wait and see if Taiwan is next. I have friends there so I’m very invested in this angle.

4what wrote:

Neverrr1 wrote:

Never underestimate ego and the desire to cement one's legacy. That's something that gets overlooked in these country level analyses

Do you really think Russia is going to defeat 30 nations, the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization?

ALBANIA (2009)
BELGIUM (1949)
BULGARIA (2004)
CANADA (1949)
CROATIA (2009)
CZECH REPUBLIC (1999)
DENMARK (1949)
ESTONIA (2004)
FRANCE (1949)
GERMANY (1955)
GREECE (1952)
HUNGARY (1999)
ICELAND (1949)
ITALY (1949)
LATVIA (2004)
LITHUANIA (2004)
LUXEMBOURG (1949)
MONTENEGRO (2017)
NETHERLANDS (1949)
NORTH MACEDONIA (2020)
NORWAY (1949)
POLAND (1999)
PORTUGAL (1949)
ROMANIA (2004)
SLOVAKIA (2004)
SLOVENIA (2004)
SPAIN (1982)
TURKEY (1952)
THE UNITED KINGDOM (1949)
THE UNITED STATES (1949)

Wise Old Man wrote:

TheAdultInTheRoom wrote:

We won every battle in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq and still managed to lose all 3 wars... Russia can endure WAY more pain the US can. Russia defeated Germany essentially by itself in WW2. 90% of German casualties were suffered in the east and the war was effectively lost long before D-DAY.

Maybe on Russian soil, but not in the Ukraine or the Baltics. This is not Russia being attacked by Germany, it the opposite. If you don’t think Russia can get their ass kicked when they wage of war of aggression, you forget Afghanistan. The Russian population wants none of this, especially when sanctions hit. This is Putin’s folly and overreach. All I have to say is that cities consume armies. When Russia moves into Kyiv, they are going to suffer and Putin’s teenage conscripts who didn’t even know were going to a shooting war are going to have their blood run in the streets. You are giving Putin and the Russian military way too much credit.