Yes to all that, but if Putin thinks a deal will mean a reversal of all the sanctions, he can forget it. He has scarred the lives of a generation of Russians, and this won’t be just forgotten a few weeks after he withdraws. At least this war has given the West a wake-up call energy wise, and let’s hope Europe can wean itself off Russian gas soon, and decimate the Russian economy forever.
I agree in principle but its hard to dismiss out of hand if the alternative is continued shelling of a civilian population. There may be other ways of skinning that cat though, there's going to be significant build up of NATO on the borders of Poland, Hungary, Romania and so on.
I believe the oil sanctions will be lifted asap. No PM is going to get reelected if they let that go on for years.
I agree. They live to fight another day. Once Putin is gone (he's seventy) Russia might relax it's stance and they might yet achieve their European dream.
And what exactly would stop Russia then returning in a few years once Ukraine no longer has any army and takes the rest? I'm sorry, but Russia have shown themselves to be completely untrustworthy shits.
I don't disagree mate, but they won't be trusted, they'll be watched heavily and any movements taken far more seriously than in the past. The world ain't gonna feel the same about Russia for some time. But ultimately, with a negotiation its often about what you least oppose rather than what you want, with these sorts of stakes even more so. Zelenskiy has been exemplary and incredibly brave, but how long could you watch your population slaughtered today over the 'maybes' of tomorrow.
I think a reversal will be on the cards. Long run though, we do need to bolster/ implement proper anti-laundering laws and become more self-sufficient.
Well that's just it, I don't think that NATO can simply sit by and watch a country be slaughtered, or alternatively left completely defenseless in a "negotiation". I mean if we're saying that the best outcome for Ukraine is that they get rid of their army to broker a ceasefire then their only defence in future is going to come from NATO, so why not use NATO now? It's an absurd position to say that one Estonian (for instance) killed would provoke an armed response from NATO and to hell with the supposed threat of nuclear armageddon, but Putin can bomb the [Poor language removed] out of civilians in Ukraine and NATO won't intervene because of the supposed threat of nuclear armageddon. Logically that makes absolutely no sense at all. Morally it makes even less sense.