9 Comments

Ukr will NOT stop - they can't. To stop means Putin wins - fear and unrest will continue - Poland and other European countries will eventually become high risks for invasion. It's all in or nothing.

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Most thorough precis, thank you. As the great grandson, grandson and son of soldiers (who never talked about war, ever), I much appreciate the excitement from 8,000 miles away. General Ben Hodges is the most impressive and Pres. Zelensky agrees, both strategically and politically Crimea is key to Ukrainian victory and unraveling Russian aggression. That will include, as Ambassador Volker coyly does not say, neutralizing/liquidating/eliminating/pasturing Russia’s current leader. Putin must be thinking he should have done the same with Prigozhin while he had the chance, but 50,000 guys under your command is the best kevlar vest a warlord can buy. Other Russians must be thinking the same, and I continue to hope that Navalny will survive and out of all this carnage Russia will emerge a democracy, so long overdue.

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Years ago Nicholas Sarkozy said that Russia is always underestimated and overestimated. If we believe the information being offered by the Ukraine, NATO and the Pentagon, Russia is getting her sorry bottom kicked. Pardon me for voicing some scepticism. Let us hope that a truce can soon be brokered without any further losses of life and property.

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I can't see any possibility of a truce -

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May 4, 2023Liked by Diane Francis

The power remains and the imbalance in air power/long range missiles is killing Ukraine and with dissent crushed, the old doubling down on Putin as some reincarnation of a fantasy old Russian world creator of everything..Russian soldiers are the more and more emboldened/encouraged in atrocities and genocide..torch the orc.

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May 4, 2023Liked by Diane Francis

Everything depends on Ukraine’s counteroffensive. It sounds like everyone is becoming overly optimistic. I suggest a healthy dose of caution is necessary. Don’t underestimate Russia. When you do they can hit back with lethal force. (see Battle for Moscow 1941-42). It’s sounds like NATO is dragging their feet on delivering artillery shells and it’s cruel that they are not providing ATACMS. Still, like everyone, I’m anxiously waiting for the counteroffensive. There is so much anticipation. I worry about a lot of things like how exhausted are the Ukraine armed forces? The troops on the frontlines have not been rotated out except for 2-3 days at a time. They need 1-2 week rotations every few months. I sure hope the troops on the counteroffensive are well-rested. (I expect they are) I still don’t know how successful Ukraine can be without a substantial Air Force. So much to do before we can think about reclaiming Crimea for Ukraine. Slava Ukraini.

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the two drone strikes on the kremlin remind me of putins ploy years before when he had the kgb bomb apartment buidings in moscow ....he blamed the chechens and used this as a pretext to invade chechnyia....anna poliskovskaya uncovered all of this and was murdered for her troubles.....is putin trying the same ploy again with the ukraine????certainly is a possibility...ukraine has no interest in attacking moscow....

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May 4, 2023Liked by Diane Francis

Excellent as always

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I believe the only outcome must be complete return of all Ukrainian land including Crimea, complete restoration of the Ukraine by Russia (Putin looses all his stolen wealth to partially fund the restoration), Putin is charged for his War crimes and Navalny is released from jail to re-set Russia. Putin must be punished for his crimes and for having killed so many Russians to satisfy his ego.

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