I specifically mentioned capabilities and you want to make this about the will to fight.
All the will in the world will not make artillery pieces and missiles fall from the sky.
The separatist republics could sperg all they want but if Russia comitted to not supporting separatism they wouldn't have the means to fight. The separatism helps Russia's strategic goals so they give absolutely no shits about how many people die there as long as they get what they want.
My response about will to fight was to your comment about throwing meat at a war for 8 years and nothing else.
I don't know how separatism itself helps Russian goals, considering my point of view that making them independent from Ukraine was not part of the Russian plan. As i said some time ago, the plan was to have some political influence through them as part of Ukraine to counterbalance pro-Western side of Ukrainian politics. It's hard for my to guess what real support Russia has provided to separatists outside of humanitarian aid, so i can nether confirm nor deny if they would collapse on their own or not.
I've probably mentioned it 10 times already but the Buk launcher numbered 332 belonging to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade in Kursk was the one used to shoot down MH17.
T-90As, T-72B3s, artillery pieces, TOR-1s, etc were reported by OSCE. Did they all fall from the back of a truck?
I knew about Buk debacle, but was not aware where did it come from. Also, reports about T-90s and TORs seems a bit fantastical. It's not that i distrust you, but can you provide those reports for future reference? I would be grateful.
There was never an opportunity to give amnesty because fighting broke out as soon as the agreements were signed.
Well, surely if Ukrainian government would announce general amnesty then ceasefire could have been easily signed. I just don't think the man who would make such a decision would survive for long.
Valid. Apparently Australia jumped the gun because the deal only meant China could send police forces to put down revolts and protect Chinese assets?
I don't know, maybe it just way for Chine to go around it and don't spark world tension.
This isn't about the need to intervene but the perception that any base around Russia is a threat. I'm simply returning Russia the favor by asking what are Russian bases doing so close to other countries.
I'm going to be real right now, if Ukraine promised no NATO bases after joining and then built one right afterwards what would Russia even do? Invade a NATO member state? I'm not going to beat around the bush here, with a "neutral" Ukraine Russia can do whatever the fuck it wants. A NATO member Ukraine can do whatever the fuck it wants. These are irreconcilable differences.
Well, then we just going to toe our party lines, if that's the case. I still believe that neutrality is the way to go for Ukraine. That way they would be able to suck at EU tit and not piss of Russia. Also would not need to waste 2% of GDP in cash on military budget. Still probably would, even without NATO, just to make more ways to steal from the budget.
I assume your position comes from general distrust in Russia, which is understandable. But neutrality is the only position that i could find that does not fuck over someone in this equation completely. Of course if Ukraine would somehow win this war, which i doubt very much, i would kneel and accept their right to be in NATO. But until this happens i will not change my position.
Diplomacy is deadlocked, then. Nobody would stop fighting until they got what they wanted. So in the end the EU didn't do much at all in the name of peace, and is now willing to send whatever they have in storage.
Well, i suppose nobody wanted to trust the other side. Yet it still was easier for Ukraine to approach separatist first, simply because they are a stronger side on paper. But i don't know how easy it is for politicians in Ukraine to deliver anything substantial on any promise they would make to separatists, considering the military would most likely be against any concessions. And if you are correct about Russia wanting to continue the conflict for as long as possible, then pressure on the Heads of the Republics could of also been applied to not sign any meaningful agreements. (Though i do not believe it to be so.)
