cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
The very simple answer to the bolded is that they did cede it back in the day, and kept the boundaries intact during the breakup. “On second thought” is not legitimate. Crimea is properly a Ukrainian possession, and I hope they take it back.I don't see a black/white resolution here,I hate to admit it but Russia does have legit claims concerning Crimea,they DID cede it to Ukraine during Soviet times,but it was a dog and pony show,Russia still used its access to the Black Sea and it's pop. is primarily Russian and pro Russia. You could say it's "Indian Giving" but no way Russia cedes this territory if it knows the Soviet Union is breaking up. Factor in it's strategic importance as losing it basically land locks Russia from the B. Sea and their is a good chance of it's loss prompting nuke use. The amount of loose nuke talk concerning nuking the US in Russian media off the charts and careless and alarming at the same time. It's not fair but nuclear states receive dif. treatment. Look at N. Korea,would we put up w/the BS they cause if they didn't have nukes or for that matter I guarantee Nato would be giving Ukraine air cover at the very least if the Russian's weren't a nuclear state. There are no easy answers in this and the West is very careful in what we provide in weaponry for this exact reason. For instance F-16's, Don't you think Joe has nightmares of US provided fighters flying supersonic at tree top level to bomb Moscow for the symbolic statement it would provide the Ukranians,once they have that capability you never know and then you never know how a country w/over 1700 deployed strategic nukes reacts to having their capitol hit by a capability provided by uncle Sam. It's a word wide shit sandwhich w/so many uneasy questions,hell I'm hearing that Putin;s replacement will in all likelyhood be WORSE if that can be comprehended.I don't even know who could negotiate a end game to this tangled mess.Who can deal w/ Russia,who can rebuild Ukraine,how can the war crimes be prosecuted,what kind of status does Ukraine have post war NATO/EU,what kind of hair trigger border situations will exist post war,and on and on the questions go.I just have a hard time seeing the Russians not getting crazy responding to a total defeat there is a good chance they will react w/a we don't win no one wins response. Putin surely wishes he never launched this in retrospect but he's in too deep and pride/survival have him in a corner were he can't back down. Ukraine doesn't have the manpower or Western backing to rout the Russians either,and the Chinese are starting to sniff around,it's all forboding as a MF.
As for routing the Russians, things might get surprising after another season’s attrition. The one thing it ain’t is boring.
(add) Russia is promoting “the nuke talk” because it is a cheap and effective tactic of intimidation. If we cave to it, I foresee a century of bad foreign policies worldwide.
The one thing making nuclear deterrence work in this era following the one of mutual assured destruction is the promise of a massive response should anyone ignore or defy the global handshake agreement to keep war conventional.
It may come to an object lesson that Nato is well-positioned to deliver. I counsel against appeasement; it has led to bad results in living memory.
Last edited: